McGovern goes yard, One-run fever, & Welcome to Clinton — Game Notes

Clinton LumberKings
Sep 2, 2018 · 6 min read

**COMPLETE GAME NOTES**

Today’s Preview: The Clinton LumberKings (A, Mariners) meet the Burlington Bees (A, Angels) for the sixth and final time this season with the second game of a three-game series. The LumberKings last faced the Bees in Burlington and took two of three for their first series win in the month of August. Overall the Lumberkings will end the 2018 season having won the head-to-head meetings as they enter with a 9–5 record against the Bees this year. In the head-to-head meetings going back to 1962, the LumberKings trail the head-to-head series 424 to 435. Since becoming a Seattle Mariners affiliate in 2009, the LumberKings own a narrow lead in the head-to-head meetings, 88 to 85.

LumberKings Starter: Clay Chandler, 24, makes his 27th appearance and 19th start of the season for the Clinton LumberKings and his final outing of the 2018 season. The Kentucky native, was given a loss his last time out for a five-inning outing against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Ashford University Field. He turned in five innings allowing three runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out five. This will Chandler’s fifth time facing the Bees this year and his fourth time starting against them. He has combined to go 2–1 with a 2.70 ERA over his 20 innings of work while walking 10 and striking out 12. Chandler began the season in the bullpen for the LumberKings this season and as a reliever this season he has gone 1–0 with a 4.20 ERA while as a starter he is 7–4 with a 3.83 ERA. The Seattle Mariners signed him as a nondrafted free agent on June 29th, 2017 out of Southeast Missouri State University.

Bees Starter: Austin Krzeminski, 21, makes his 39th appearance and fifth start of the season for the Burlington Bees. The Atlanta Georgia native, was given the loss his last time out for a 4.1 inning outing against the Quad Cities River Bandits at Community Field. He allowed two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five. This will be Krzeminski’s fifth appearance and second start of the season against the Clinton LumberKings. He has combined to go 0–0 with a 0.00 ERA over 10.1 innings of work while walking four and striking out six. He began the season in the bullpen and moved into the Bees starting rotation permanently on August 16th. The Los Angeles Angels signed Krzeminski as a nondrafted free agent on June 21st, 2017 out of Gulf Coast Junior College to a minor league contract.

Last Time Out: Keegan McGovern registered his 13th home run of the year in a 3–2 win for the Clinton LumberKings over the Burlington Bees at Community Field. Clinton (29–39, 68–70) pitching struck out 13 Bees (20–44, 50–83) including eight of the last 10 batters of the game. The LumberKings struggled early on against Bees starter Oliver Ortega. Through the first three innings Ortega was perfect and did not allow a base runner to reach against him until issuing a one out walk to Joseph Rosa in the fourth. In the top of the fifth, Ortega surrendered his only hit of the night to Johnny Adams on a single up the middle into center field. For his time, he was given a no decision for five shutout innings of work in which he surrendered just one hit while walking one and striking out one. The Bees staked themselves to an early lead against LumberKings starter Ryne Inman. In the bottom of the first, four straight Burlington batters reached with two out in the inning to force home the game’s first run. Clinton broke the 2–2 tie in the top of the seventh. Ariel Sandoval doubled into left center field to open the inning. Johnny Adams moved Sandoval to third with a fly out to right and a Hermann (2–9) wild pitch scored Sandoval from third. Grant Anderson (1–0) made his LumberKings debut and earned the win for two perfect innings of relief in which he set down four of the six batters he faced via the strikeout. Joey Gerber worked the final two innings for the LumberKings and earned his second save of the season

One-run Fever: For the fifth time this season the Clinton LumberKings played the Burlington Bees close with their series opener on Saturday night decided by one run. Clinton will end the season having won the head-to-head meetings and are 10–5 against the Bees this year. Oddly enough in all five of their meetings that have been decided by one run the LumberKings have won.

Welcome to Clinton: The LumberKings come from behind win on Saturday night over the Bees would not have been possible without solid pitching. After an unearned run was allowed in the bottom of the fifth Lumberkings pitching allowed no more. A big reason for the suffocating defense was newest LumberKing Grand Anderson’s debut. He came in to work the sixth and stayed on for two innings and did not allow a Bee to reach base against him. Of the six batters he retired four were set down via the strikeout. Anderson earned the win for his time out, the second win of his professional career.

History: With Ryne Inman’s fourth strikeout of the game on Sunday of Gilbert Lara the Clinton LumberKings set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a single season. The LumberKings went on to strikeout nine in the contest to bring their season total to 1,193, good for second most in the Midwest League behind the River Bandits. The strikeout milestone passed the 1987 Clinton Giants mark of 1,188 that had stood for over thirty year.

Roster Move: The Clinton LumberKings will likely play the remaining four games of the season a man down following a roster move that sent LumberKings starter Scott Boches to the High-A Modesto Nuts. Although he began the season in the bullpen, Boches moved to the starting rotation which is where he will pitch with the Nuts when he makes his California League debut in San Jose, California against the Giants on Friday night. In a corresponding move the LumberKings received right-handed pitcher Grant Anderson from the Arizona League Mariners. Seattle drafted Anderson in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of McNeese University.

McGovern Goes Yard: The LumberKings offense on Saturday night was stalled through the first six innings. They had mustered just one hit before and two bases runners before the top of the sixth inning. Keegan McGivern the followed a Joseph Rosa single with his 13th home run of the season. His first since August 17th versus Beloit.

This date in baseball history: On this date in 1918, the major league regular season, scheduled to end today due to World War I, is extended when the owners decide to play through Labor Day. The Browns want the Indians fined and believe that Cleveland should forfeit the two games for refusing to play the additional contests.

Broadcast Information: Erik Oas returns for his second season as the “voice” of LumberKings baseball. All games will be broadcast live on 100.3 FM WCCI and online at LumberKings.com via the TuneIn Radio App.

Class-A Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners & Charter Member of the Midwest League

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